We're currently charging our 24-volt at about 62 amps, so even on the next-to-shortest day of the year, we'll make nearly 8 kWh, nearly three times what we'll use. And our Thermo-Dynamics solar hot water collectors will produce 120-130-degree water—hot enough that we won't be drawing from our propane tanks.

Even better: Tomorrow, it's supposed to be sunny and windy. That means our Whisper 100 turbine will be whirring away, making even more power. After today, it'll be somewhat academic—after all, we can only store so many amp hours. But there's something smugly satisfying about having all systems "go."

The return of cold also means our cold box is functional again. Actually, we've been relying on it through the warm temperatures without any spoilage, but that's only because we've been vigilant. Now, we can relax and know that tonight's leftovers will still be palatable to put on the table for Christmas dinner. Not that we would, of course. —Ben Hewitt